Plodder trimmer nozzle

ABSTRACT

A plodder trimmer nozzle for attachement to a soap plodder for providing simultaneous three-stage operation. The nozzle is formed of a two-part casing having a forming end for producing an oversize extrusion, cutting knives for trimming the oversize extrusion, and a finishing end for finishing and glazing the trimmed extrusion.

Unite States Patent [1 1 [111 3,847,527v Fischer 1 Nov. 12, 1974 [54] PLODDER TRIMMER NOZZLE 893,796 7/1908 Grunt et a1 425/308 Inventor: Charles F. Fischer, Jersey y, NJ. 1,383,133 6/1921 Lucke 83/4 X [73] Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company, New FOREIGN PATENTS B APPLICATIONS York, N Y 195,280 3/1923 Great Britain 425/309 [22] Filed: 1972 Primary Examiner-R. Spencer Annear 2 APPL 29 252 Attorney, Agent, or FirmHerbert S. Sylvester, Esq.

52 us. C1 425/308, 83/1, 83/902, [57] ABSTRACT 90 24 5, 90 24 F, 2 4 139 425 31 A plodder trimmer nozzle for attachement to a soap [51] Int. Cl. C 11d 13/18, Cl 1d 13/28 pl er for providing simultaneous three-stage opera- [58] Field of Search 425/296, 308, 309, 316; tiOnl The OZZ B is formed of a two-part casing having 264/139; 83/1, 4, 902; 90/24 E, 24 F, 24 R a forming end for producing an oversize extrusion, cutting knives for trimming the oversize extrusion, and [56] Referen Cit d 21 finishing end for finishing and glazing the trimmed UNITED STATES PATENTS extrus'on- 287,699 10/1883 Meeker.., 425/308 X 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PLODDER TRIMMER NOZZLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION process and generally includes subjecting soap to a series of extrusion or plastication operations. Soap is fed to a continuous screw or auger in the plodder where it undergoes levigation. Thereafter, the soap is discharged out of an outlet of the plodder and thence through a nozzle plate which generally provides for a roughly finished bar extrusion. Heretofore it has been necessary to separately finish the surfaces of the bar extrusion before cutting the extruded bar stock to size.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by removing the roughly finished exterior surface of a continuous extrusion to expose and clearly define the multi-colored patterns whereby desired striations are attained on the finished bar and during the passage of the then shaped and cut bar to glaze the surface finish of these difficult extrusions.

The construction of this invention features a casing which is bolted or otherwise attached to the plodder and which includes a forming end for producing an oversize extrusion and a finishing end for finishing and glazing the surface of a trimmed extrusion as it passes through cutting members spaced medially between the forming end and the finished end.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a plodder trimmer nozzle which will remove the exterior surface of a roughly finished continuous extrusion.

vIt is a further object of the invention to provide a plodder trimmer nozzle which will expose to clear definition multi-color and striated patterns and thereafter to glaze the surface of the extruded bar of soap.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a plodder trimmer nozzle capable of use on various size plodders for high compression and continuous operation and which can be made by conventional milling machine tooling, easily maintained, and can achieve a glazed finish for striated soap bar extrusions, which heretofore could not be obtained by any other soap plodder nozzle or nozzle plate.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the present invention, which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this plodder trimmer nozzle, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, by way of example only, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING- FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section view through the plodder trimmer nozzle and a portion of a soap plodder illustrating the relative arrangement of parts of the invention in use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the plane of line 33 in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral is used to designate a soap plodder having a housing 12 in which a feed screw or auger is used to levigate a mass of soap and deliver the mass of soap in the direction of arrows A to the outlet 16 of the housing The plodder trimmer nozzle 30 in accordance with the concepts of the invention includes a casing 32, formed in two mirror image sections 34, and 36, and can be manufactured by conventional milling machine tooling.

As can be best seen in FIG. 2, the abutting surfaces 34 and 36 of the casing sections are carefully machined to provide a ground joint between the sections. The sections 34 and 36 are held together with their abutting surfaces 38 and 40 in intimate contact by means of hollow headed screws 42 which extend through the section 34 and are threadedly engaged in the section 36. Guide pins 44 are used for initial alignment of the casing sections 34 and 36. The casing sections 34 and 36 are provided with semi-circular flange sections 46 and 48 which form a flange through which bolts 50 extend for threaded engagement with the housing 12 of the soap plodder l0.

As can be seen best in FIG. ll, the end of the plodder trimmer nozzle adjacent the soap plodder 10 has a forming end 53 having an internal configuration roughly conforming to the desired size of the finished extruded bar of soap forming a finishing chamber 54. The bar soap 55 which moves through the soap plodder in the direction of arrow A and out of the plodder trimmer nozzle in the direction of arrow B, passes from the chamber 54 to a finishing chamber 56 at the finishing end 58 after it has passed a series of cutting means.

Pairs of slots of substantially V-shape and indicated at 60 and 62 and 64, are provided. These open up into the medial portions of the plodder trimmer nozzle and knives 68 and 70 and 80, 82 removably fastened, as by screws or like fasteners, at an acute angle of approximately thirty degrees to the path of travel of the extrusion whereby the soap cut from the roughly finished extrusion passing from the forming chamber 54 is di-v rected outwardly through the slots 60 and 62 in the direction of arrows C and D in the form of ribbons 74. This will trim two sides of the extruded bar, while the other two sides are trimmed by knives and 82 removably secured, as by screws or other fasteners, to the casing 30, the knives extending into the hollow casing through the slots 64 and 66. These knives will trim other ribbons 84 and 86 from the roughly finished extrusion whence the extrusion passes against the inner surface of the chamber 56 as indicated at 90 and is finished thereby. In this manner the cutting by the knives to finish the surface and the glazing thereof will expose the multi-colored patterns of striated soaps and provide for the defined striations desired.

It is to be recognized that by using suitable screws for fastening the knives and suitable slots in the knives, each knife may be adjustable for optimum cutting and to provide adequate weight control and on-stream adjustment. Wires can be substituted for the knives. Of course, one set of knives is provided for controlling the width of the extrusion while the other pair provide for the thickness for a given bar weight. Thus, the plodder trimmer nozzle provides for a simultaneous three-stage operation, that is, oversize forming in the forming chamber 54, trimming by the sets of knives, and thereafter finishing and glazing in the finishing chamber 56.

through which said levigated mass of soap is extruded, cutting means medially mounted in said housing between said inlet and outlet ends, the interior portion of said housing between said cutting means and said outlet end having lesser inner dimensions than the inner dimensions of said housing at said inlet end.

2. A plodder trimmer nozzle according to claim 1, ineluding slots in said housing adjacent said cutting means for discharge of trimmed soap.

3. A plodder trimmer nozzle according to claim 2, wherein said housing is formed in two sections, and includes fastening means for detachably securing said sections together.

4. A plodder trimmer nozzle according to claim 2, wherein said slots are wedge-shaped and are located before said outlet end. 

1. Plodder trimmer nozzle comprising an elongated hollow housing having an inlet end for receiving levigated soap, said inlet end including fastening means for attaching said nozzle to a soap plodder, an outlet end through which said levigated mass of soap is extruded, cutting means medially mounted in said housing between said inlet and outlet ends, the interior portion of said housing between said cutting means and said outlet end having lesser inner dimensions than the inner dimensions of said housing at said inlet end.
 2. A plodder trimmer nozzle according to claim 1, including slots in said housing adjacent said cutting means for discharge of trimmed soap.
 3. A plodder trimmer nozzle according to claim 2, wherein said housing is formed in two sections, and includes fastening means for detachably securing said sections together.
 4. A plodder trimmer nozzle according to claim 2, wherein said slots are wedge-shaped and are located before said outlet end. 